Former Surigao del Norte 2nd District Representative Robert Ace Barbers stated that Vice President Sara Duterte has shown no genuine effort to account properly for the P612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) over the past four years.
Barbers issued the statement during a virtual press conference as witnesses from the Commission on Audit (COA) presented testimony regarding liquidation irregularities during Duterte’s Senate impeachment trial.
“Since 2022, it seems that wala pa ring sincere effort to liquidate. Kasi 2026 na ngayon,” Barbers said.
“Until now, sa aking paniwala, no single piece of liquidation na sinubmit nila, eh acceptable per the joint circular,” he added.
Serving as an adviser and spokesperson for the House prosecution panel, Barbers referenced Joint Circular No. 2015-01, which establishes rules for managing confidential and intelligence funds.
The funds scrutinized under Article I of the impeachment charges include P500 million granted to the OVP between late 2022 and late 2023, along with P112.5 million released to DepEd during Duterte’s tenure as education secretary from 2022 to 2024.
COA auditor Atty. Roderick Wamil testified before senator-judges that both agencies repeatedly failed to comply with guidelines governing the P612.5 million allocation.
Wamil noted several audit deficiencies—including unallowed expenses, missing payment proofs, and unsupported reward disbursements—which led to Audit Observation Memoranda (AOMs). He also confirmed that the liquidation reports and certifications were signed directly by Duterte as agency head.
Barbers asserted that these repeated findings prove the submitted documents failed to satisfy standard auditing requirements.
“Kaya nga nagkaroon ng red flags, kaya nga nagkaroon ng audit observation memoranda, kaya nagkaroon ng notices of disallowance, kasi lahat ng na-submit for the last four years ay hindi acceptable and in accordance with the [JC],” Barbers noted.